Loaded is a great action game that combines the mania of Smash TV with the quest elements of Metal Gear. The graphics and visuals are outstanding, right down to the last gory detail. The gameplay is excellent, and there are secrets to find, too. The difficulty is a bit extreme, making it tough to clear even the second level. The ability to link this game for multiple players is a great idea. The more the merrier! Loaded is a fast-paced game that will grow on you.

7.0

I have to give credit where credit is due. Loaded features some' of the best lighting effects in a game that I have ever seen! However, special effects don't make a great game. Even though each level is large, action-packed and nearly impossible to make it through without losing a couple of lives, I found myself starting to yawn halfway through the destruction. The ability to waste your friends in the Multiplayer Mode is what raises this to an above-average game.

9.0

This is Smash TV brought to the next level. Loaded has a vast array of fighters to choose from, each has differing speeds, weapons and special weapons. Right from the get-go, you are constantly facing multiple enemies at every turn, which will keep any gamer on his or her toes. The only downfall of the game is the background music will get on your nerves. From beginning to end, loaded is full of gore and excitement. This game is a must-have for PlayStation owners.

8.0

Shoot, maim, kill. Loaded is the fast-paced game that sends you on a search-and-destroy mission killing everything in your path. The visuals are clean and the character movement is smooth and exacting, letting you move quickly around to blast the nasties who are gunning for you. The only thing to watch out for is when you get too close to an enemy and can't seem to turn fast enough to get him. Count me in when the link is released. Two-player will excite you.

reggie posted a review.

Overall rating: 8

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Game Reviews

Loaded is an intense, violent game that gives new meaning to the term shoot-em-up. This is The Wild Bunch of the genre and the bad boy on the PlayStation block: Enemies don't flicker and vanish - they explode into a bloody mess (unless you play as Butch, who leaves a nice pile of ashes). When you get down to it, though, this is standard shoot-and-move fare. Mindless but fun.

Unlikely Heroes

Loaded features six characters unworthy of sympathy. There's Mama, an abandoned baby who never grew up; Bounca, a numbskull who enjoys hitting people; Cap N' Hands, a 200-year-old space pirate; Vox, a hi-fi nut who uses sound to destroy enemies; Fwank, a psychotic who cares only about his teddy bear and his big gun; and Butch, the "most dangerous cross-dresser in the galaxy," who uses a flame thrower.

The game's objective is simple: Find the exit to each level. Of course, the only thing standing between you and that goal is about 2000 bad guys. To conquer the hordes, each character is armed with a distinctive weapon. Pick your character wisely because, although these weapons can be powered up, there isn't a variety of them to choose from. Each character also has a smart-bomb attack that destroys everything on the screen. (Be forewarned, though - the effectiveness of the smart-bomb attack varies from character to character).

The stages are gigantic and challenging with wave after wave of enemies just asking to be blasted. Several hidden areas can be revealed by shooting walls, and there's no shortage of weapon power-ups, bullets, or life icons. Just shoot everything - you may have limited ammo, but you never know what you'll find.

Slaughter with A Smile

Loaded lives up to its name, especially in the graphics and sound department. The game looks awesome with smoking guns, smoldering scorch marks, and other telling details. All that's missing is a trail of bloody footprints to mark your path through the carnage.

Some of the eye-filling graphics include Butch's flapping dress, the gory red demise of enemies, and bizarre creatures, including attack dogs, scorpions, and rats. The rats are so creepy that you'll catch yourself prop- „ ping your feet up off the floor. You can scale in and out any time during the game, and the lighting is particularly effective (your character even changes color along with the light source). One quibble, though, is that some of the stages are so dark they're hard to navigate.

There are enough ringing explosions, gun blasts, splats, grunts, and groans to keep up with the action. Some of your enemies even say "Halt" and "Freeze." Let your guns reply to that. The music offers a nice variety, ranging from hard rock tunes (complete with lyrics) to simple synthesizer rhythms (like something out of a John Carpenter movie).

Kudos for Control

With your character horribly outnumbered, Loaded evens the odds with great controls.

You can run and fire in any direction, or aim in one direction while moving in another. Every action is keenly responsive, but this is basically a one-button game: All you really need is the fire button. The map is also a big help, especially since it sits unobtrusively in the corner so you can check it without interrupting the action.

Let God Sort 'Em Out

In all, Loaded is a simple premise taken to absurd heights: From the wacky characters to the overblown carnage, the game is generally a blast to play. While it lacks some of the strategy of similar-minded titles like Doom, the action hardly ever lets up. This will be one difficult game to top - let's hope there's a Loaded II on the horizon.

ProTips:

If you move slowly and maintain some distance, you can get within firing range of your enemies and they won't fire back.

The slow zombies can absorb several shots before they die. Keep your distance when taking them on.

Keep firing when you enter a teleporter on Stage 2. You may be warped into a room filled with bad guys.